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What If? Vol 2 77
Erik tells his wife to stand back, and then Legion appears with his hands burning with psionic energy. Lying around Legion out cold with storm falling to the ground, are all the very same X-Men agents that were sent to Israel in the original Legion Quest storyline to stop this event. Along with Storm are Bishop, Psylocke, and Iceman. Legion continues describing himself and his "mission" to himself and/or Erik, then creates a psi-dagger with his right hand, while telekinetically lifting Erik in to the air with him. The X-Men agents are still on the ground out cold, and Legion continues to ramble, applauding his foresight for attacking at this point in history rather than later in Cairo. He stabs Erik, and in the explosion of energy he sees the consequences of his actions. Because Erik was not alive to help Xavier in Israel decades later, Gabrielle Haller died before David could be born. As he fades from existence, Legion also sees a huge ancient figure laughing and then he is gone, the energy swallowing him up and time vacuums up the three comatose X-Men with in it. Leaving both the dead bodies of Bishop and Erik Magnus Lehnsherr on the woodland crater floor with Magda trying to reach out to Erik. In the modern day, sunlight falls on the old mansion in Westchester. Xavier is watching Trish Tilby interviewing Henry McCoy. The interview is about what it’s like to be Hank McCoy, the Beast, a novelist and famous mutant, but who is the man under the blue fur? Beast replies with a jest that she should take a peek underneath later, hinting that Beast was obviously dating her in this universe as well. Xavier thinks to himself, a fine sound bite for the morning paper’s quote columns, and changes the channel quickly. Xavier starts to question himself, disturbed with what he sees: All the magazines of his X-Men agents on them, from something about an movie "X-Men II: Mutants Strike Again" to Business Quarterly with what looks to be Sebastian Shaw on the cover. Xavier later enters the Danger Room control booth where Forge is running a program. Charles questions Forge on why the Danger Room consoles are armed? Forge says he's holding a Dress Rehearsal. Inside the room, Storm, Colossus, Dazzler, Beast and Kitty fight simulated versions of the Hellfire Club who look like the members during the Phoenix Saga. Xavier states that is absurd, the X-Men are not court jesters, but rather a force against evil in the world. Forge replies disrespectfully and wants to know if Xavier has a point? Xavier states that Forge should assign the X-Men a mission not a "comedy routine." And Forge is interrupted shutting down the simulation and chewing out the X-Men agents in the Danger Room. While some of them are refitting their joints in place. Forge making the statement that the simulated androids were only operating at 60 percent of the real Hellfire Club’s capacity/capability. He then tells Xavier to wheel himself and his dreaming out of the Danger Room control Room, and that X-Men stay as they are and do their jobs as he sees fit. Moving to New York city, we find our selves at a place called the black tower of the Hellfire Club International, which casts it long shadow over the tired and poor. Sebastian Shaw is arguing with Warren Worthington about how the Hellfire Club’s Inner Circle does business since they allowed Warren and Robert Drake to join them and about the other choices they have made which have made him richer beyond his celebrity. Shaw feels Warren should let them do what want to do, to acquire the Moreau Mutation Research Facility on Genosha. By acting immediately they can corner the Market on Genetic Information. However, Warren states that they can’t ignore the fact of the reports of illegal procedures to create mutant powers for the wealthy by that company and the fact that their test subjects are poor people with a fatality rate of over 60 percent. Shaw tries to interrupt, and Warren takes a firm "no" with his shares. Shaw turns to both Gideon and Candra for support. Candra states that she and Gideon are of one mind and state the phrase so popular among Apocalypse and his followers: "Only the strong survive." And the board room is blown up. Stepping through the new hole in the wall of the board Room are Sabretooth, Caliban, Polaris, Pyro, the Vanisher (armed with a phased plasma rifle) and an unknown mutant known only as Death. Candra makes a go at Emma Frost with a knife in her hand, Juggernaut runs in, worried about his buddy Black Tom, apparently having been forced to wait outside while the meeting was on. Juggernaut is shot by Pyro on entry. For some reason Cain has entered the room without his helmet. Robert Drake sees his lover Emma Grace Frost on the floor bleeding to death and is fueled with rage, heading towards Candra with the cold feel of death coming towards her. His hand becomes ice talons as he roars "No." He is intercepted by Pyro. The narrator makes some statement about how Robert Drake ends his pointless ugly life in a pointless ugly way. They're both on the wrong side here, but whatever, still more healthy. Anyway, Juggernaut is met by the mystery woman Death warning her not to try to kill him. Death grabs Cain Marko's face with some energy charging out of her right hand that she touched him with. The only two members of the Hellfire Club left are Black Tom and Shaw. Gideon orders the Vanisher to teleport the other followers of Apocalypse away from the staging point, that he has obtained all the use of the mutant abilities in the room. Gideon "closes the deal" by blowing topmost part of the black tower building. With the full moon rising, Gideon meets his lord and master in the clearing smoke and asks if this meets his approval? Meanwhile in Anchorage, Alaska, Charles Xavier pays a visit to some old friends in a lodge. It’s Scott and Jean Summers, With their two children Rachel and Nathan. That evening, after Scott Summers has made dinner, Rachel is sleeping in "Uncle Charles'" arms, while Nathan is also next to his parents. They end up discussing old times and Bobby Drake's name comes up as one of those people that didn’t see being an X-Man agent as a good time, because it wasn’t profitable. Xavier explains how Bobby married Emma Frost, who was his trophy wife. Professor Xavier goes on to mention that the Dark Phoenix Saga event took place only slightly differently as a space-worthy Blackbird over the Manhattan bay area waters is shown. And Jean interrupts, "Professor, you didn’t just come to reminisce did you? He admits not. Jean lets out an angry flash of telepathy from wife to husband. Scott goes on to ask what type of mission is it? Scott wants to go, but I don’t want you to take him, Scott replies to the Professor that he’s sorry but they promised each other not to return to that. And Jean states it’s all they can do to hid their mutantcy from the neighbors. They don’t want to be stars again. And Scott replies again that Jean was right and that to be an X-Man is to be dead or a freak show. They wished Xavier luck on what ever mission it was and Scott stated, "but I won't follow; not anymore". And Professor X stated that he'll see himself out and that he shall try not to disturb their neighbors. And with a sad look on his face hovers out with his hover chair. A day later at the Washington DC event with Xavier and the X-Men standing at the podium with many a crowed to see them Apocalypse’s Celestial ship darkens the sky. And human figures start dropping from it. Storm makes a comment about it being another one of Forge's stunts and Colossus thinks that these guy’s are replacement for the Hellfire Club mock battle. Xavier warns his X-Men that this is no show piece and to get into position. Before Xavier can finish that sentence his voice is covered in screaming plasma gun fire and chopping sounds of meat. Beast and Dazzler are hit and Forge is screaming, "Return fire, damn it!" Storm is trying to fight back, while Kitty Pryde is dragging Colossus away from helping, while Colossus is telling her that they must stay and fight and help the others. Xavier uses a mind command to stop and put to sleep an entire city block of panicked and malicious people. Unfortunately, the followers of Apocalypse remain standing. Apocalypse appears and lifts Xavier from his hover-chair, his left hand producing claws from his fingertips. Xavier tries to fight back mentally, but Apocalypse states that both his overwhelming power and vast vestments are blocking/damping Xavier's from affecting him self or his followers. And that he is the antithesis OF Xavier's weak dream. Xavier in tears reluctantly says that he knows, and Apocalypse's left clawed hand turns into a bladed hook, preparing to strike. Scott and Jean and their children are watching the TV news report. A reporter explains the situation. About a giant mutant spouting superiority and a twisted skewered version of Darwinism and that dead bodies are everywhere, and Doctor McCoy's blood is all over him. Telepathy jumps the gap between the couple calmer this time with sadness and shock on their faces. They both quietly get up and bid their kids goodbye. They won't be gone for long. The Phoenix flame silhouette covers both parents and their clothes change into different variants of their blue and gold costumes that these two never expected to ever wear again. And they teleport, the Phoenix wings scoring the Alaskan sky. And unfolding in Washington the Phoenix Force now inhabiting both Jean and Scott, just in time as they see Apocalypse about run Xavier through. Sabretooth standing next to Apocalypse grinning. At that moment, Scott Summers strikes, and watches as Apocalypse falls on top of Sabretooth, as Jean pulls the Professor away with her telekinetic powers. She passes him to Scott, and they try to fly to safety. Xavier tells Scott to leave him alone stating that this is the tempering that his X-Men never had. The shadowy figure of Gideon and a Gatling plasma rifle goes off, while he screams for Scott to die. Cyclops doesn't die, but since he does not have the Phoenix Force aura protecting him, he gets shot and drops Xavier. Xavier, while bloody and crawling back into battle, states that in tempering there's always sacrifice. Jean and Apocalypse face off. Unfortunately, Apocalypse matches her blow for blow with his damping ability, while Xavier is still crawling up behind him. Xavier uses the last inch of his power to finally break into Apocalypse's mind and stamp on it. Apocalypse screams, and Sabretooth reaches for Xavier, only to be shot by Cyclops. Professor X died, along with Apocalypse. Sabretooth, standing over Xavier, states that Xavier paid the price for his philosophy. Gideon, screaming how he agrees, states while America lies oblivious to these events that the followers of Apocalypse will begin from there to take their guns and their claws to the city! Scott and Jean discuss shortly that it’s obvious that these psychos aren’t going to stop. They realize that what they told Xavier was wrong and they can’t let the dream he died for lay dead there. Jean has no choice. Since that area was overcrowded with the followers of Apocalypse and there was no help in sight, she lets the Phoenix Force loose and it engulfs the area near the White House. All her anger, the horror she saw, sorrow she felt on that day cause of all friends they lost is focused into a large Phoenix energy form. In one fell swoop Apocalypse's legions are devoured in that fire storm. As Jean Grey's tears also make a hole in the world. A few months later on a newscast Trish Tilby is one of the reporters in Washington, the city still burning with fires that can't be put out and over a hundred thousand people dead. And on every other channel on TV there’s some one commenting on that event to a reporter: "The scum that killed those nice X-Men, and where were the superheroes? The X-Men were superheroes." It was a scam to assassinate the President by some non-descript black man. Iron Man says something about that he’s not saying that’s what happened but they ought to make it illegal for mutants to use their power recklessly. And in a house in Westchester, Jean Grey turns off the TV. The days seem colder now. Xavier’s Institute for Higher Learning and Youngsters that was formerly open to the public has now closed. As the jeering and abuse from the public protesters at the gate of the Institute adds to that chill. As the gate clang shut, the bus doors hiss open, and children step out. One of these kids is Jubilation Lee. And the Summers family have brought them here to learn about themselves, And to show them all their futures. As Scott Summers welcomes them to the school he knows that their lives will have none of the media glitter of the previous generation. Last quote here. As long as one of the Dreamers lives… the dream will never die. Gideon, who some how survived the fires of Washington, is sitting next to Vanisher in Apocalypse’s Celestial Ship. In the background behind them stand Wolverine and Psylocke, Callisto, Avalanche, Unus the Untouchable and an entire group of unnamed mutants. The X-Men are in trouble. | Appearing1 = Featured Characters: * Supporting Characters: * * * * ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** * ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** Adversaries: * ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** * Other Characters: * * * * ** ** ** ** * * ** ** ** * Locations: * (Reality) ** ** *** The Black Tower of the Hellfire Club International ** , , the Summers' family home ** Items: * Vehicles: * The Blackbird | Notes = | Trivia = | Recommended = | Links = }}